This is a recipe I aimed to reproduce after I ate this salad at a restaurant that was run by a culinary school. It was something so unique to my palate and refreshing, I couldn't wait to try it at home. I have to admit I eyeball all the ingredients. It's hard to go wrong. Nice side dish to help balance off grilled meat being served. Who knew these ingredients would work together so amazingly well!! You can find many versions on line, but this is what I came up with.

What you need:

*Ripened sweet red watermelon diced into small squares ( make sure the watermelon still holds good firm texture)

* Red onion chopped/ diced

* 6 oz of crumbled feta cheese

* fresh mint sprigs chopped fine

* a fresh lime or lemon, depending on your preference

* red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

* olive oil

* salt and dash of cracked pepper.

In bowl, toss diced watermelon, onion, mint, and big handful of feta. Drizzle a hint of olive oil over salad, handsome splash of vinegar, dash of salt and cracked pepper. Finish by squeezing a lemon or lime over dish. Toss again lightly and serve. Eyeball the amount of feta...if you were to have a spoonful of this salad...watermelon slices should dominate everything else. So there should be hints of feta all over the salad but not too overwhelming since it is a salty cheese.  If you are to make ahead of time, add feta and dressing right before serving. Best to have things prepped in separate bowls and toss together when ready...so as not to infuse onion into entire dish.

This is a recipe that was at both my wedding shower and baby shower. A family friend made it for the occasion and got the original recipe from the chef. After years of making it herself, here are her adaptions and the only way I've eaten it. So had to share! It is an awesome salad that is full flavored, refreshing, yet light. Perfect for a girl's luncheon, or a side dish for an outdoor party. This photo is not true to the recipe, but I wanted to show what the rice texture will look like. Shrimp is cut much smaller and there are many other colors to the dish. Can easily prep half before hand and throw together the day of. This is a WOW dish.

What you need:

* 1 pound Carolina white rice

* 3/4 to 1 1/2 pounds peeled cooked shrimp, cut into thirds

* 1-2 cups chopped green and red peppers ( orange and yellow in spring for color)

* 1 cup chopped drained marinated artichoke hearts

* 1/3 cup minced parsley

* 1/4 cup tiny capers

* 1/2 cup minced dill ( use dry for best results)

* 1/4 cup each golden raisins and brown

* 1 1/4 cup corn oil ( important that it's corn and not olive due to taste)

* 1/2 cup while champagne vinegar

* 1 3/4 teaspoons each salt and pepper

* 1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic

* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

* 1/4 cup minced dry parsley

Combine rice, cooked and cut shrimp, green and red peppers, artichoke hearts, 1/3 cup parsley, capers, dill, and raisins in bowl. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and 1/4 cup dry parsley in a jar with cover. Shake well. Pour over rice/shrimp mixture tossing to coat. May chill in refriderator, BUT BEST SERVED ROOM TEMP!!

Serves 10-12

This is an easy breakfast that is prepared the night before. Great for company as it serves a full family and the best part is..it's ready and hot all at once. Beats standing over the griddle. One of my family's favorites at brunch gatherings.
 

What you need:

*1 loaf firm, thick bread (potato bread works nicely too!!)
*8 oz cream cheese
*¼ cup maple syrup
*10 eggs ( yes it's a lot!)
*1 and ½ cups half & half
*8 Tablespoons melted butter
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*Handsome dash of cinnamon

Use large rectangular baking dish…if you have stoneware it works wonders for keeping warm.
Cube bread and put ½ in bottom of baking dish//pan tightly fitting with each other like a puzzle. Cube cream cheese and distribute cubes evenly over bread. Add remaining bread on top to make the top layer as level as possible. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour evenly over layered bread. Press down slightly ….sprinkle top with cinnamon…cover and refrigerate overnight.
In a.m. bake at 350 for 40-50 min. It will brown pretty quickly and butter will bubble on sides..but it should be done after 40. Cover with foil first 20 min if afraid top will brown too fast.)
Serve warm with maple syrup ENJOY!
Can also adapt with blueberries…strawberries ..nutmeg.



What you need:

*Package of boneless beef ribs cut into smaller pieces for braising (or you can use a stew meat already cut and packaged into cubes)

* 2-3 cups carrots peeled and chopped large

* 3 white potatoes diced large ( well washed-skin on)

* 1 large onion or 2 medium

* olive oil for braising

* frozen peas ( or you can use fresh snap peas cut in half)

* 2 beef bouillon cubes

* salt and pepper

* all purpose flour

* garlic powder

* about 8 cups water

Take a large soup pot and pour enough olive oil in bottom just to coat it fully. Pour about 1/4 cup flour in a bag to coat beef cubes with. Shake well..and place coated cubes in pan of oil to braise on each side. No need to cook through..this just browns them. Once slightly browned fill pot about half way with water, bouillon cubes. carrots, onions, potatoes, bring to boil then set to simmer while covered. Once carrots are tender (about 15-20 min)add desired about of peas,salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste.

In order to thick the soup into stew, mix about 1/8 cup of flower in a cup of cold water. whisk well and THEN add to soup until desired thickness. Salt to taste. Place to Biscuits in a bowl, ladle soup on top, and serve warm.

Easy Biscuit Recipe:

(makes 8-10)

2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Cup cold milk ( keep in fridge until using)
4 T room-temp salted butter
1 T sugar

Preheat over to 475 degrees.
Add butter and milk to dry ingredients and stir. (I mixed butter in with my hands..and then added milk and stirred with spoon.) Immediately drop 1/4 cupfuls about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly golden on top and bottom.

( I have fast oven..they were done in 8 minutes!)

What you need:

* 2 tsp. olive oil

* 1/2 onion, chopped

* 1 med. potato, peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces

* 3 cups broccoli, chopped

* 3 cups low-salk vegetable stock

* 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In large stockpot, heat oil and sauté onions for 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add potatoes, broc, and stock. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer and cook covered for 12-15 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour broccoli mixture AND cheese into blender, puree. Another option is using a hand blender to puree right in the stock pot.

Pour into bowls and sprinkle some extra cheese on top if desired.

Serves 4

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes ( try MSG-free ones!)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Did you know that spicy food can boost your metabolism? Here is a quick way to spice things up without spending more than 10 minutes in the kitchen! Meant for adults unless kids can handle the heat.  This serves one. Increase as needed. Heat scale= medium.

What you need:

* 2 organic eggs whisked with a splash of milk and dash of salt

* diced up onions and green or red peppers (we always have some left from salad fixings)

* 1/2 Tablespoon butter or Tablespoon Olive oil

* Dash of Tobasco sauce

* handful of Shredded Cheese

Simply melt butter (or olive oil) in small fry pan on medium. Toss in vegetables, crack some black pepper over them, sauté until desired consistency. I like a little body to them, to leave a little crunch. Add whisked egg mixture. Let sit a bit before flipping...makes it fluffy from air getting underneath. Sprinkle desired amount of Tabasco sauce on top...flavors blend, it doesn't add as much HEAT as you may expect. However be conservative, you can always add more when done...and scrape bottom to flip eggs. Sauté until no longer runny.  Remove from heat, transfer to a plate, sprinkle top with favorite shredded cheese. Eat warm is a must! Give yourself a few minutes to enjoy a warm breakfast!

(If you want to really treat yourself, add a Tablespoon of cream-cheese to the eggs before removing from heat. YUM!)

 Avocados + Bananas (A friend suggested this one...though she does love avocado on its own too!)

Peaches + Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Applesauce + Steamed Carrots

Yams + Pear juice

Prunes + Bananas

What you need:

1 large zucchini

1 package of ground beef (you can use turkey or chicken if you prefer)

ketchup

Favorite BBQ sauce

1 large Vidalia onion

garlic powder

cracked pepper

1 medium green pepper (optional)

olive oil

8 oz bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Slice Zucchini in half lengthwise and place face-down on greased tray for about 15-20 minutes to give it a head start at cooking.

In large pan, sauté chopped onions and green pepper in olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper. Remove from heat when halfway cooked. In a bowl add onion mixture with raw package of ground beef, sprinkle with garlic powder and equal amounts of ketchup and BBQ sauce about 1/8 cup each, add egg and breadcrumbs.

Take zucchini and fill each half with meat mixture...return to oven and cook another 40 minutes until meat cooked through and zucchini pierceable with a fork.

Serve warm...sprinkle with mozzarella cheese if desired

What you need:

* 1 bag of wide egg noodle pasta

* package of ground beef (hamburger meat)

* 1 medium white onion diced

* 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup ( I use Cambells)

* use half  a 16 oz container of sour cream ( this way you have extra if needed)

* about 6-8 white mushrooms chopped

* two cloves fresh garlic, crushed

* 2 Tablespoons butter

* salt and cracked pepper

First get water going for noodles, so dinner is ready simultaneously. Cook noodles according to package. If need be, better to have stroganoff waiting for noodles than vice versa.

In large frying pan, deep if possible, melt butter and add onions with cracked pepper. Right when onions become translucent, add garlic last minute. To that, add chopped meat dash of salt, and mushrooms. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked through and no longer pink. ( If using leaner meat 95% no need to drain off fat, if much lower, drain some but you also risk losing flavorings. Be sparing!) Once meat is done, put heat on low and add can of cream of chicken soup. Mix though. Then add half the container of sour cream, about a cup. Stir through and shut off heat. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley.

I like to serve with steamed stringbeans and tossed salad with balsamic dressing.